When it comes to monitoring physical activity, we’ve come a long way from pedometers that only counted steps. Today’s health trackers use sensors to monitor movement and store and analyze the data. You can track calories burned, calories consumed, your heart rate during and after exercise, and even how long you sleep. Like a personal… read on >
Wherever Kathleen Simmonds goes, her service dog, Emma, isn’t far behind. Emma — also known by her Instagram handle, “Type 1 Wonder Dog” — has been trained to sniff out dangerously high and low blood sugar levels and alert Simmonds so she can take action. Simmonds, 48, has had type 1 diabetes for more than… read on >
If you have arthritis, there are foods that may help you feel better. A diet that’s rich in vitamins and minerals, and includes fruits, lean proteins, fish, vegetables, nuts and healthy oils may be most beneficial, the foundation says. But it cautions against changing too much, too soon. Gradually swap out ingredients at each meal,… read on >
Just because a medication is available over the counter doesn’t mean it won’t have side effects or pose other dangers. One example is PPIs, a popular type of heartburn medication that can harm the kidneys, especially when taken long-term. Heartburn is the result of stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, the tube that goes… read on >
Weight loss wisdom suggests chewing every bite 15 or more times to give your brain time to process what you’re eating and send the signal that you’re full. Now a group of studies has found that counting the bites themselves could be an effective way to lose weight. Knowing that dieters often underreport how many… read on >
Three weeks in a cast or brace may be just as effective in healing ankle fractures as the typical six weeks, a new study shows. While six weeks in a cast is the usual treatment, there are risks associated with prolonged immobilization, including stiffness, skin damage and blocked blood vessels. Finnish researchers decided to find… read on >
If you want breastfeeding to go smoothly, you might want to ask the hospital to delay that first bath for your newborn, new research suggests. For decades, it’s been standard procedure to give newborns a bath within the first few hours after birth, but the new finding suggests that waiting 12 or more hours before… read on >
Fried chicken, french fries and chicken-fried steak might be delicious, but treating yourself to such fare regularly could be deadly, a new study warns. Women who eat more than one serving a week of fried chicken or fried fish have an increased risk of heart disease and death, researchers report. “Overall, we found that total… read on >
Talking with your baby helps the child’s language development, the Nemours Foundation says. Researchers have found that the number of words a parent said to a child was strongly associated with the depth of the child’s vocabulary at the age of 3. And when parents used different words and sentences in conversation, their children had… read on >
Custom orthotics are specially made devices designed to support and comfortthefeet, ankles and legs. Orthotics are made typically after a podiatrist has conducted a complete physical evaluation of these areas, the American Podiatric Medical Association says. If you are considering orthotics, the association suggests these things to keep in mind: Consider your health. If you… read on >
